Putting the Spice in 31

31 looks so bland. It is 30 ... plus 1. Like, who cares?

It isn't a sexy, round number and my 31st birthday plan to dine alone at home with my two cats doesn't quite compare to the huge, beautiful surprise celebration my friends and family put on for me last year.

Remember that? It ruled.

But, that's ok.

Of the many things my 30th year taught me, top among them is that I require outside validation for n.o.t.h.i.n.g.

Whether I am having an epic celebration with everyone I love or a quiet evening at home with my cats, I know that I am blessed, I am loved, and I am exactly where I am supposed to be. My 20s were totally wild. It was a time of travel, parties, friends, but it was also a time of fleeing myself and my circumstances and trying to squeeze my wild, expansive self into a mold that didn't quite fit me.

It's only appropriate that a huge fiesta drew that decade to a close and opened a new one, fresh with possibility, wisdom, and freaking EPIC SELF-LOVE, AUTHENTICITY, AND A BURNING DESIRE TO PLAY BIG IN THE WORLD.

So to honor the change that my 30s brought, I set these intentions for living in my 31st year:

1) Be thankful every single minute of every single day. Because I am here. And that is a privilege.

2) Be bold. There is no room for playing small, for beating around the bush, for procrastination. Today is a gift. Honor it with action.

3) Play. Do something fun or playful every damn day. If you can't be silly and life isn't fun, then what's the point?

4) Seek my reflection in the things that frustrate me. When I feel angry or annoyed, it is usually a reflection of a weakness or something I don't like about myself. Stop. Dig deep. See what is reflected back and go to work on it.

5) Feel the fear and do it anyway. Laugh at it. Punch it in the damn face. Let it be your greatest guide. As my incredible mentor Peta Kelly says, "The pain of doing is nowhere near as bad as the pain of hesitation."

6) Live the future today. Wake up every freaking morning and live as though my goals have been achieved. That will bring them to life and create room for them.

So maybe 31 isn't so bland. I think gratitude, boldness, punching fear in the face and showing up in an epic way every freakin' day actually sounds pretty sassy. But more importantly, it is authentically me, and I don't need someone to throw me a party to remind me that I am rad.